1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to exercise equipment and, more specifically, to systems and methods for providing improved exercise devices in combination with other users and/or a live or stored trainer via a communications network.
2. The Relevant Technology
In an attempt to improve their health and physical conditioning, consumers are purchasing home exercise devices in record quantities. One common challenge with home exercise equipment is motivating the purchaser to use the device on a consistent and ongoing basis, while providing access to experienced trainers and individually developed exercise programs from the comfort of a user""s own home. In addition, many exercise devices involve repetitive actions, which can quickly become tedious to a person exercising alone.
Health clubs, on the other hand, have organized various exercise classes and routines involving a group setting. In the proper setting, a group approach to exercise creates a synergy, whereby individual members of the class derive encouragement and motivation from other members of the group.
Furthermore, while individuals exercise at a health club they are taught the correct techniques for exercising, thereby reducing the possibility of being injured during an exercise program. In addition, group settings promote a healthy sense of competition among group members. Initially, such group fitness and exercise classes typically involved aerobics, traditionally performed without the use of any ancillary exercise equipment or devices. In recent years, however, the group work out approach has been extended to classes that utilize various exercise devices. Take, for example, the recent rise in popularity of xe2x80x9cSpinning Classes,xe2x80x9d in which each participant operates his or her own stationery exercise cycle in a group setting, with a coach or instructor leading the group through a prescribed program or routine. Similarly, with recent advances in the design of treadmills, it is possible to have xe2x80x9cTreadmill Classesxe2x80x9d wherein an instructor not only leads the group, but the instructor is also able to control the operation of the treadmills of all of the class participants from a single control panel.
One of the primary disadvantages with group training, however, is that it is typically available only at health clubs and, therefore, is not as convenient as exercising in the privacy and comfort of one""s own home. It would, therefore, be a definite advancement in the art of home exercise equipment to provide the desirable benefits of group exercise in a home setting. Some efforts have been made in the prior art to introduce a level of xe2x80x9cinteractivityxe2x80x9d into exercise machines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,249 discloses a video exercise control system in which a videocassette recorder (VCR) or similar device is coupled, via a hard wired connection, to an exercise machine, such as a treadmill. As an individual exercises on the treadmill, the VCR in synchronization with prerecorded audio/video presentations controls the speed and incline of the treadmill. U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,509, entitled xe2x80x9cRemote Exercise Control Systemxe2x80x9d that is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a remote exercise control system in which an exercise machine, such as a treadmill, may remotely communicate via a communications module with an evaluation module located at a remote location. Signals indicative of the operating parameters of the treadmill are transmitted from the treadmill to the evaluation module, and control signals are transmitted from the remote evaluation module for controlling the operating parameters of the treadmill. U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,172 is representative of another, in which an exercise device is coupled, via hard wired connection, to a video game device, such that the operating parameters of the exercise device are used as inputs to the video game controller, which then produces a video display based on the inputs received. However, these approaches nevertheless fail to provide many desirable benefits of group exercise.
It is an object of the present invention is to improve home exercise equipment by providing home exercise devices that are capable of simulating a group or class workout environment and synchronizing operation of the exercises devices with exercise programming.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise device that is capable of being controlled by packetized signals received from a trainer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercise device that is capable of enabling a user to communicate with a distantly located trainer.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an exercise device that communicates with a communication system that enables real-time communication with a trainer or alternatively access to one or more stored exercise programs.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an exercise system that enables one or more users to receive real-time signals from one or more trainers via a network.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an exercise system that enables a third party to control one or more user exercise devices and one or more trainer exercise devices in real-time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an exercise system that enables a user to access various exercise equipment and information from a variety of locations.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a system where one device is capable of controlling one or more operating parameters of one or more other devices.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system where the various modules of the system may be incorporated within a variety of devices.
Another object of the invention is to provide exercise devices that incorporate modules for receiving and decoding control signals embedded in multimedia (i.e., audio and/or video) programming for controlling various operating parameters of the exercise device in synchronization with the multimedia programming.
It is another object of the invention to provide exercise devices that are responsive to control signals that are encoded in programming external to the exercise device and containing audio and/or video and that can be transmitted and received by the exercise device.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide enhanced exercise devices, the operation of which can be controlled using interchangeable, multimedia programming containing control signals that is received via the Internet.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved exercise machine that facilitates live, interactive communications between a treadmill user at home and a trainer or coach in a remote location, and which enables the trainer or coach to control the operating parameters of the user""s treadmill on a live, real time basis.
The present invention is directed to devices, systems, methods, programs, computer products, computer readable media, and modules for controlling the operating parameters of one or more devices by one or more distantly located, or optionally closely located, devices through the use of packetized data technology. The present invention is particularly well suited to devices that utilize one or more motors and/or other electrically driven actuators that control one or more operating parameters of a device, such as an exercise device.
In one embodiment, the exercise device is configured to enable a user to interact with a trainer in real-time communication and includes an exercise mechanism having a movable element for movement in performance of exercise by a user. One example of such an exercise device is a treadmill, although a variety of different exercise devices may be employed. By employing real-time communication and interaction with a trainer, an exerciser can interact with the trainer, thereby achieving many of the benefits of a group exercise session in a home environment.
The exercise device of the present invention may have a variety of different forms. However, in one exemplary embodiment, an exercise device configured to enable a user to interact with a trainer in real-time communication, comprises: (i) an exercise mechanism comprising a movable element; (ii) one or more user interface devices, that communicates with the exercise mechanism and gathers a first real time signal from the user; (iii) a communicating mechanism that communicates with the interface device and enables real-time transmission of the first signal to the trainer and receives a packetized second real-time signal. The second real time signal may comprise a variety of signals, such as control signal and/or audio and visual signals. A processor, responsive to a control signal is configured to control the operating parameters of the exercise mechanism in real-time.
Thus, according the present invention, it is possible for a user to exercise on a device, such as a treadmill, while a trainer receives data regarding the operating parameters of the treadmill (and optionally of the user of the treadmill, e.g., heart rate), such as speed, inclination, etc. Upon receiving this data, the trainer can modify the operating parameters of the user""s treadmill such that the user achieves an exercise program designed by the trainer. The trainer can also communicate in real time with the user without interrupting any control signals that control the treadmill or other exercise device. The user can also communicate with the trainer without affecting any of these controls during such communication.
A variety of different options are available for achieving the desired real time communication. According to one such option, a user can receive a broadcast from a live trainer (human being) or a stored trainer (e.g., a website, video, disk, or dynamic or interactive software program) upon activating the exercise device. As another option, the user can receive programming in response to a signal sent by the user. As yet another option, the trainer can analyze information about the exercise device (e.g., speed) and/or user (e.g., heart rate) and control the operating parameters of the exercise device and/or provide recommendations to the user through audio or video communication.
Thus, the present invention relates to an exercise device capable of achieving real time communication with either: (i) a live or (ii) stored trainer. The present invention also relates to an exercise system comprising: (i) one or more user devices, such as an exercise device; (ii) one or more trainer devices, such as another similar exercise device connected to each other in a master/slave relationship. Optionally, in addition to the master and slave devices, a third party can control the master and/or slave. Examples of such third parties include an individual located at a master control console that controls the master and/or slave, such as in the setting of a spinning class.
The trainer and user may be linked in direct communication (e.g., master/slave) or indirect communication, such as by linking both the trainer and the user to a communication system that controls the operating parameters of an exercise device used by the user and/or trainer. For example, if both the trainer and the user devices are connected to a communication system, such as a website, the website may control the user device and/or the trainer device. Alternatively, the communication system may track changes of the operating parameters of the trainer device and modify the operating parameters of the user device based upon the changing parameters of the trainer device.
Optionally, a stored trainer (e.g., a website) controls a user device without requiring the services of a live trainer. The present invention also enables first and second users to compete against each other by connecting their corresponding exercise devices to a communication system, such as a website.
The present invention also relates to programming, computer products and computer readable medium including instructions designed to facilitate the above-described systems, inventions and exercises and other systems, devices, and exercises. As will be discussed in greater detail, the present invention is not limited to any particular device, although treadmills and other exercises are employed as examples to illustrate the operation and function of the present invention.
These advantages in addition to other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.